Through the years, a variety of different protective leggings have been developed for protecting persons against snake bites when walking through heavy undergrowth areas.
Some approaches for protecting persons from snake bites have been based upon the use of a rigid material to surround the wearer's legs. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,269,036, issued to Parker et al on Aug. 30, 1966, discloses a protective legging including a protective sheet made of aluminum or similar material. Other leggings have been used that are made of fiberglass or hard plastic material. U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,853, issued to McLane on Nov. 15, 1977, discloses a protective legging having a double layer of closely woven stainless steel mesh to protect the wearer against snake bites. U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,963 issued to Knight on Sep. 18, 1973 discloses a snake protective device having hinged semi-cylindrical halves and made of aluminum, plastic, or the like.
While most rigid leggings are effective at protecting against snake bites, they have a number of undesirable qualities. For instance, they are generally uncomfortable to wear. In addition, they tend to be rather noisy, since the protective leggings will often knock against one another as the wearer walks. This is undesirable when the person wearing the leggings is hunting, as the clacking noise can scare away game or otherwise alert game to the hunter's presence. Moreover, due to their rigid construction, these devices have tended to cover only the lower portion of the wearer's legs, rather than the entire length of the wearer's legs.
In an attempt to overcome these drawbacks, protective leggings or chaps have been developed using textile materials, rather than a rigid material. Each chap generally comprises a tubular leg enclosure of a tough textile material, such as canvas or cordura nylon. The leg enclosure surrounds the leg from ankle to upper thigh, and is suspended at its upper end from the wearer's belt. The leg enclosure includes a slit at its bottom, allowing the legging to easily slipped on and off of the leg over the wearer's boots or shoes. A zipper is typically provided along the length of the slit for closing the slit once the legging is in place. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. Re. 32,506, issued to Hightower, discloses a legging or chap made of a cordura nylon basket weave fabric, coated with polyurethane.
These fabric leggings are more flexible, and thus more comfortable, than rigid leggings. They can also be designed to cover the entire length of the leg, since they are capable of bending with the wearer's leg during a normal walking motion. However, they nonetheless have several deficiencies. For instance, the materials that have typically been used, including cordura nylon material, are relatively noisy as the leggings rub together. The fabrics also tend to stiffen in freezing temperature, making the legging uncomfortable.
Moreover, it has been found that the use of zippers to close the slit at the bottom of each legging has several distinct drawbacks. Most notably, the zippers tend to jam or clog when the chap is exposed to dirt, sand or other particulate matter, making it difficult to open or close the zipper. In a worst case scenario, the zipper can become stuck or jammed, leaving the slit wide open, leaving the lower portion of the wearer's legs unprotected from snake bite. This is particularly troublesome given that the majority of snake strikes, especially those from smaller snakes, are directed at the lower portion of the person's leg. Thus, when a zipper fails for one reason or another, it can leave exposed the portion of the body that is most likely to be targeted by a snake strike.
Accordingly, it would be a great benefit to have a snake-proof legging that solves the aforementioned disadvantages of prior art designs. Such a legging should be made of a material that is durable and flexible, and will retain its flexibility through a wide range of temperatures, including freezing temperatures. The legging should also be lightweight, while providing protection against even the most aggressive snake strikes. The legging should also be easy to install and remove, with a slit-closure system that is easy to operate and is not prone to jamming from dirt, sand or other particulate matter.